3 minute read
A look at the undercard stories from Bendigo.
Foxy Frida gets the Gold
Foxy Frida had to share the prize in the Bendigo Gold Bracelet (1400m) 12 months ago with Sirileo Miss but this time around the judge gave her the victory by a nose.
The Andrew Noblet-trained mare got the bob in to deny the leader Shohei in the last stride.
As she did last year, Foxy Frida is likely to head to Adelaide for the Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville on May 6 ahead of a potential trip to Brisbane.
"We targeted this race six weeks ago and she's had a great prep, she looks terrific and hopefully we're in for a good prep," Noblet said.
"We'll head to Adelaide again for the Queen Of The South and maybe then go up north with her.
"We'll just see how she gets through it, but really I'm happy with the way she's come back."
Apprentice lands milestone win
Apprentice Sheridan Clarke has registered her maiden Saturday metropolitan victory guiding the John Moloney-trained Imperial Lad home in the RSN 945 AM Handicap (1400m).
Clarke now has 64 winners to her credit, three of which have come at night meetings at Moonee Valley.
While Saturday's meeting was held at the country venue of Bendigo, it held metropolitan status.
"It's fantastic, especially to do it for John and the team," Clarke said.
"I've been doing a little bit of work for them, going and doing jump-outs nearly every Monday, so it's great to get the first (Saturday win) for them too.
"It's a massive milestone for me anyway and it's one of my goals that has been ticked off."
Reserve option works for Treporti
The Danny O'Brien stable had hoped to be running at Flemington last weekend with Treporti, but instead had to settle for the Carlton Draught Handicap (1300m).
Treporti landed his first win at the trip with his narrow win after enjoying a good run behind the speed.
The four-year-old was the first emergency for a 1200m race up the straight last week, but without a scratching on race morning it left Treporti at home in his box.
"We were looking forward to seeing him at Flemington last week," O'Brien's racing manager Jack Howard said.
"We thought he'd be a good chance in the race down the straight, but we were just unlucky that there weren't any scratchings.
"Looking at the calendar, we thought here over 1300 (metres) was a really good option. He has run over 1300 and 1400 previously and I think he'd run second and fourth.
"We think he can really stick out that trip, especially when there's a good tempo as well."
Young stayer shows his Promise
Promises Kept has followed up a maiden win at Sale with a solid on-pace victory in the Bendigo St Leger Trial (2200m).
The Greg Eurell -trained galloper was wayward up the Bendigo straight swishing his tail, but Group 1 winning jockey Danny Beasley extracted the best from him.
Jim Mason, assistant trainer with Eurell, said Promises Kept is now likely to be kept on a path towards the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville next month.
"We had a plan, go to Sale then come here and if he could do the job in both those places, he might find himself in Adelaide," Mason said.
"He's a nice horse and he proved today that he's pretty good."
Beasley, who is now based in Wagga following a stint in Sydney, picked up the ride as he has the same manager as Blaike McDougall who rode the gelding to victory at Sale.
"Unfortunately, Blaike had that injury last week, so I hope Blaike's feeling well and getting on the road to recovery, but this horse is a really nice horse," Beasley said.
El Salto wins for local trainer
It was a long day for the locals as they to wait until the final event for the win of El Salto in the Mitchelton Wines Handicap (1100m).
But Bendigo trainer Brent Stanley had to wait on scratchings after El Salto was made the third emergency when the final field came out on Wednesday.
El Salto officially started as a $51 chance, but Stanley told jockey Daniel Moor the gelding was a top three chance follow recent trips to Canberra and Adelaide.
"He's such a good horse, he ran in Stakes races as a three-year-old," Stanley said.
"I was hoping he got a run because he hasn't carried under 59.5 (kg) for 18 months, so with 54 on his back, on his home track and he was fit for the first time this prep, I said to Buckets (Moor), 'he's 80/1 but he's a dead-set top-three chance'.
"The problem is you've got to ride him quiet, have one crack at them late and everything go right.
"It turned out really good today."
Quote of the day
"She makes it hard for you watching this race. Two years in a row, dead-heated and I thought (today) I got beaten" - trainer Andrew Noblet after Foxy Frida got the bob in to claim the Bendigo Gold Bracelet having dead-heated in the race last year.
